Gambia

The Gambian military has announced the detention of former General Bora Colley, who is accused of being part of a hit squad targeting opponents of exiled former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh. According to a statement from the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF), Colley was detained on August 9 after voluntarily surrendering to the GAF Military Police at Yundum Barracks. The statement noted that intelligence services had been monitoring Colley’s residence in Banjul on the day of his arrest. Colley is currently in custody and cooperating with Military Police during the investigation. Colley is alleged to have been a member of the “Junglers,” a hit squad established by Jammeh to “suppress the Gambian people, silence opposition, and carry out execution orders” between 2003 and 2006. Yahya Jammeh’s Rule Yahya Jammeh took power in Gambia through a military coup on July 22, 1994, and ruled the country for 22 years. During his presidency, Jammeh was accused of various human rights violations, including torture, rape, and executions. He lost the presidential election to Adama Barrow on December 1, 2016. Jammeh initially refused to accept the election results and rejected calls to step down. He declared a 90-day state of emergency on January 17, 2017, but eventually left the country for Equatorial Guinea on January 21, 2017, after pressure mounted. Jammeh announced in May that he would return to Gambia.

Activists and human rights groups expressed relief after the bill was rejected.

Albayrak Group, a significant player in port operations across Central Africa, is adding another major project to its portfolio.